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Sunday, July 15, 2012

My Turn at Painting 15mm ACUs

Well, here is my first squad of 15mm US Army figs (Rebel Minis) in ACUs. I went to the local surplus store and looked at used and new uniforms and gear, made notes and took some pics, but it didn't help. I picked the colors closest to the most common colors (there was variation, even in new product), painted a couple of figs, and it didn't look right at all, did that a couple more times before giving up on doing it right. So here they are, right or wrong, good or bad ( mostly bad).

I ended up using Vallejo 987 Medium Grey for the base coat, and Vallejo 886 Green Grey and 830 German WWII Green for the grey/green camo, applying with a stipple method using a beat up brush. They appear slightly darker in person, though it doesn't help much. I may just finish the platoon in ACU, rather than the whole company, and give a try to multicam for the next platoon. I don't know. Right now I'm just frustrated. Digial camo is just killing me.

Yeah, I'm thinking a wash before adding the darker camo colors might be a quick way to help them out. The relatively light base color combined with my stipple painting method leaves the recesses light and the raised areas darker. Kind of the opposite of what it should be.

Don't worry about it. The whole point of ACU (certainly in effect, if not in intent) is to make troops stand out in any environment. And your do.

Also, I think trying to emulate the camo as opposed to the overall effect is not the way to go. Looking at the camo close up doesn't help, as it isn't designed to work at that range. You need to look at it from 50 or 100 yards and try and replicate that look.